PM Shehbaz briefed on digitisation of consular services for overseas Pakistanis: PMO

ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministry briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on enhanced consular services for overseas Pakistanis, including the digitisation of systems for services such as document attestation and foreign payments, the PMO said on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the PMO, PM Shehbaz chaired a meeting in Islamabad, where he was briefed on the progress of these initiatives by officials from the foreign ministry, the interior ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the IT ministry, Pakistan’s ambassadors posted in various countries and other senior officials. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, alongside Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Shaza Fatima Khawaja; Minister of State Aoun Chaudhry, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, and other senior officials. The briefing covered enhanced services at Pakistani embassies for overseas Pakistanis, the digitisation of the document attestation process, a further simplified mechanism for complaints, and the introduction of digital systems for various services, as well as payments to Pakistan from abroad, the statement said. “Overseas Pakistanis are our valuable asset, and providing them with all kinds of facilities is the government’s top priority,” it quoted the prime minister as saying.

The meeting was informed that, for the convenience of overseas Pakistanis, a QR code-based system has already been introduced to simplify the processes regarding the power of attorney, purchase and sale of property, and attestation of documents. The prime minister welcomed the digitisation of the complaints registration system through QR codes, directing that these codes be prominently displayed at Pakistani embassies and missions abroad to improve public access. He instructed that a special awareness campaign be launched for overseas Pakistanis so that a greater number of people would be able to use the QR code-based system to register their complaints. The meeting was informed that an evening shift has recently been launched at the Foreign Office in Islamabad to facilitate citizens. Document attestation services have also been introduced at the Asaan Khidmat Centre in Islamabad. Alongside the launch of a courier-based document attestation service, the system has also been integrated with the databases of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Inter Boards Coordination Commission, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), and the National Police Bureau, making the attestation process faster and more efficient”, according to the PMO statement. The participants were further informed that the attestation process has been converted into a one-step procedure under the Apostille system — which reduces the process to the issuance of one authentication certificate, an “Apostille”, by the designated authority of the country where the document was issued. The premier was informed that work was progressing rapidly on the next phase to fully digitise this entire system. With the support of the National Information Technology Board (NITB), a mobile application is being developed through which documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage registration certificates, family registration certificates, and other official documents will also be digitally attested, the statement said. The briefing followed an earlier meeting at the foreign ministry, chaired by DPM Dar, to review measures for further improving consular services. Dar was briefed on the “steps undertaken to enhance public facilitation, including plans to digitalise consular services, and the introduction of morning and evening shifts to provide greater accessibility and convenience to citizens,” the FO said on X. He directed that these services be further strengthened to ensure “efficient, transparent, and timely facilitation” for the public.

In May, the deputy premier highlighted the country’s economic progress and inviting overseas Pakistanis to “honour their roots” and invest in the country, while addressing Pakistani-American community leaders in New York.